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8/01/2010

Australian Political Parties Bet On Self To Loose, by Greg Tingle - 1st August 2010

Readers, punters, gamers, casino billionaires, entrepreneurs, journos and political pundits, what a week, and what a story have we got for you. You've heard of an own goal in soccer. Well, get this... Australian political parties betting on themselves to loose the upcoming election... no joke folks. Centrebet is enjoying the spoils with the rumour mill saying PartyGaming want in, but the clock is ticking boys. Media Man and Gambling911 play 'Casino Jack' with this most unusual turn of events that is rumoured to bring Paul The Psychic Octopus out of retirement...

New Australian Prime Minster Julia Gillard might feel like she's spent Six Months In A Leaking Boat (thanks Split Enz), even though it's only been a month. Liberal call the Gillard run the shortest "Honeymoon Period" in the history of Australian politics, and it looks and smells like the case. Tony "The Bruiser" Abbott can hardly put a foot wrong at the moment, and even if he did, it may be missed by sweet science pundits, as Gillard stumbles around the ring, bouncing off the ropes like an irish whipped Skippy Kangaroo... doing down sport!...with the corner man leaking buckets and reaching for the secret grease...

Top dog Labor party folks have placed some large wagers on the outcome of the upcoming Australian federal election, with plenty of would be turncoats punting against their own party. What would Captain Cook or Jesus think? A major betting powerhouse advised bets had been placed on members of the opposing team to win marginal seats including New South Wales and Queensland. Just when we are trying loose the taste of the NRL State Of Origin series, not to mention the Green Machine VS Paul 'The Hurricane' Briggs "boxing match"... you know, the one banned from Sydney which went on to super scandal in Western Australia.

Centrebet hotshot analyst Neil Evans went on record to our friends at Fairfax Media with "I can't tell you who but I can tell you this...these are people very high up betting on some of the critical seats and I can tell you they don't always stay faithful to their party - they swap sides. They are well-known Labor figures and associates that are punting on these seats. A lot of Labor-connected money has been backing a Coalition win in marginal seats and, to a lesser extent, the Coalition has been doing the reverse."

Fairfax is of the understanding the figures also include parliamentary staffers, advisers and senior party officials. Fire them all... just kidding.

Media tart of sorts (we appreciate your style mate) Independent senator and anti-gambling campaigner Nick Xenophon aka 'Mr X' (affectionate satire) advised on the record "In the same way in the AFL officials and players can't bet on the other team, the same rules should apply for election betting. We have those rules in place so matches aren't thrown and, when it comes to a democracy, the stakes are much higher and therefore the standards should be accordingly higher.". Mr X has a point, so give the devil his due hey maties.

Later today the outspoken and switched on senator will call for all politicians, party officials and advisers to be banned from election betting. Media Man understands he has not consulted as of print with either Australia's gambling watchdog 'Mr Woof' (satire), not Australian casino king, James Packer, currently on voyage via Artic P. Bible bashers have been ringing X's email and phone off the hook.

The findings follow a 24-hour shark like feeding frenzy in which the Coalition's odds tightened up from $3.32 to $2.64 and the ALP eased up from $1.32 to $1.46.

A Herald/Nielsen poll published yesterday demonstrated the Coalition... reeling by leaks against the Government of the day has an election-winning lead with a 2 party preferred vote of 52 to 48%. Yahoo! ... just kidding, we're journalists, or at least media agents, but this is an opinion type piece with disclaimers a plenty. Green at heart, but brains say Liberal my friends. Not so much a "swinger", not in that capacity anyway.

With Labor at its longest price in the betting markets since PM Julia 'Jungle Girl' (satire MM stage name) Gillard deposed Kevin 'Bloody' Rudd, bets of $10k... yep, 10 Grand at $3.25, $7800 at $3.10, $5000 at $2.90 plus s loads of other moderate type bets were recorded for a 'Bruiser' Abbott victory.

Election betting and the subsequent fever is on track to reach record levels across the nation. More than $1 million in head-to-head bets have been placed with Centrebet alone. Bondi Beach media entrepreneurs were overhead in cafes discussing "The Punting Party", perhaps following in the footsteps of The Sex Party and Family First.

An ALP campaign spokesman would not directly speak on the allegations of insider betting but said it was a "personal choice" if party members had engaged in such conduct. Some do gooder are calling for the political betting to be banned (there's that word again BANNED).

"Those are personal choices for individuals to make. This will be a close election. As the Prime Minister has said, we are in the fight of our lives."

A Liberal spokeswoman said the party had no knowledge of such betting on electoral seats.

'Mr X' is demanding an independent inquiry into political punting and will expand the terms of reference of a Senate inquiry into sporting and online gambling to include tougher regulations on election betting..."To say it is a personal choice is an insult to the electorate."

'Odds On' Evans said election betting was the biggest growth area of his industry! He had no trouble going on record with "The bets that we get in a federal election are bigger than the bets we get in all of the state elections put together. They're not mugs betting. When there are people putting money like that on an election outcome, they are people who are inside the game."

Competitor to Centrebet, Sportingbet also spoke via their operations manager, Bill Richmond, confirming the practice of high-ranking party officials and even politicians taking a wager.

"Not that I've heard of it this year, although it has happened before. They may be with other betting agencies but they're not with us."

Swing up north to Banana Bender territory... Queensland-based Unitab has opened election betting for the first time and PR type Brad 'The Lion' Tamer advised the decision was made due to demand from punters!

Betting agencies suspended bets on the date of the election early last month after continued speculation it would be called.

Media Man says to "Vote early and vote often" (just kidding again).

MM early in the week attended the GenerationOne 'Ideas Forum', doing a 1:1 with Andrew 'Twiggy' Forrest, and to spite rumors, was not a political front, but we all know relationships matter, in life, business and news media. MM is also tipped to attend a range of Malcolm 'No Bull' Turnbull functions including one on Internet Censorship!

Sex Party welcomes national sex and morality debate with Family First: “We're Ready When You Are!”

Appearing on national television Thursday morning for a panel discussion regarding the sexual politics of the upcoming federal election, Australian Sex Party President and Victorian Senate Candidate Fiona Patten welcomed the idea of a debate with Family First Senator Steven Fielding, on the social and moral issues which are being increasingly ignored by the major parties in the lead-up to polling day.

** Stop Press: The debate is on! The Australian Sex Party's Fiona Patten will go up against Family First's Wendy Francis Monday, 2 August, 7.15am on Sunrise.This is the debate Australians really want to see. Two politicians with differing views, debating real issues**

Ms. Patten wholeheartedly embraced the notion of a debate with Senator Fielding after it was suggested this morning by historian, author and columnist Dr. Ross Fitzgerald, on The Morning Show discussion this morning. Citing issues such as censorship, same sex marriage and the internet filter, Dr. Fitzgerald chided the major parties for ignoring these issues on the campaign trail and in Sunday night’s Leader’s Debate, and emphasized the need for a public discussion on these vital issues between the Australian Sex Party and the fundamentalist Christian-backed Family First leader Senator Fielding.

The call for a debate between the two parties comes in the wake of revelations that Family First bizarrely courted the Sex Party in preference discussions, in spite of holding diametrically opposed positions on a staggering range of issues, from voluntary euthanasia, to drug reform, to the universal right of adults across Australia to legally access adult themed computer games and non-violent erotica. Family First has since denied making preference approaches to the Sex Party, in spite of a clear body of evidence to the contrary in the form of emails from Family First staff members to Ms. Patten and other Sex Party campaign staff.

So, whether you prefer Liberal, Labor, Greens of other. Enjoy the fun and games that is Australian politics. If your an Austen Tayshus supporter, please keep your bits in your Mancini, unlike one punter who got arrested by the cops at Manly Beach, home ground to The Bruiser (who opts for budgie smugglers). If planning to bet, as always, know the odds, bet with your head, not over it, and have fun. Good luck.